Even if the Sun Sets
by Medliii
Summary: Haruka and Takane have finally regained their rightful existences. Now there's just one more thing Takane needs to do, to really feel human again. [Super-fluffy, HaruTaka one-shot. My take on what might happen between them after the last episode of Mekakucity Actors. Spoilers, obviously.]


They sat next to one another in comfortable silence. Takane could feel herself shaking a bit; she could hardly bring herself to look his way. The girl only stared down at the yellow skirt overlapping her leggings. She fiddled with the fabric, comfortable, but unsure of what to say...

It'd been about a week since they'd gotten their bodies back. Takane hadn't gone back to her parents house yet, neither had Haruka. Neither were quite sure how they'd explain this to their families, and for right now, they didn't want to worry about it. It was nice just being able to have a breathe of fresh air—to relax.

Or at least, that's how Haruka felt. That's how Takane _said_ she felt, but being so close to Haruka—physically close to him for the first time in two years... it was a rather difficult to concentrate on anything, she had to say.

They'd both been staying at the Dan's secret base, and while they were together, they were never really... alone together. So when she saw Haruka carrying only his sketch pad in hand, walking towards the door to leave on that late Sunday afternoon, Takane recalled Momo's words from a week prior.

_"Don't you wanna talk to him?"_

—She did. And at that time, she couldn't. But now... now she had the chance. Finally, she had the chance.

"Haruka?" she called to him, stopping him on his way out.

He turned, catching sight of the shorter girl. "Ah—Ene," he smiled at her—absently addressing her as everyone did now. As Ene. It made her heart hurt in a strange way; she didn't think much of it however.

"Where are you going?" she was quick to ask, seeming un-phased. "Don't you need your wheelchair?"

He shook his head. "I feel fine right now. I wanted to go for a walk, to the park—to draw for a little while."

"You shouldn't go alone," she told him, crossing her arms, frowning. "What happens if you collapse?"

"Ah." He paused for a moment, being his absent minded self. "...I didn't think about that."

Giving a deep sigh, Takane put a hand to her forehead. "Some things never change," she said in frustration.

"Will Ene come with me?" he asked abruptly, gazing down at her with an eager smile.

And Takane, suddenly feeling her heart beat fast, was quick to look away. But then—working up two years worth of courage—she nodded.

And that's how they found themselves here—on this summery, hot, late-August day. The sun was already setting, cloaking the world in a bright orange light. It gave Takane a sort of nostalgic feeling. She knew why.

It was only in the slightest, but out of the corner of her eye—she looked to the boy beside her. He was just as she remembered. Well... okay, save for a few things. —By some weird side effect, the once endearing dot under his eye was now replaced with Konoha's two circular marks. His hair almost looked like he'd tried to dye it blonde, too; it was light brown in color... But, all in all, he looked like himself again. Maybe it was just because he was smiling. Whatever it was...

He was so beautiful.

As she stared at him, Takane felt her cheeks heating up—a sensation she still wasn't use to, despite being back in her body for nearly a week. But, for the first time in her life, she was okay with the inconvenient blush spreading across her face. It made her feel human again.

"You know..." Haruka said suddenly, snapping Takane from her transfixed state. Shaking her head a bit, she looked off to the side, though still listening to him. "I haven't drawn in nearly two years... I wonder if I've forgot," he laughed a little.

"I'm sure you haven't," Takane mused him. "I mean, look at me. I was able to pick my PS3 controller right back up and my aim's just as perfect as it used to be!" she boasted proudly.

He laughed a bit. "Somehow I knew you wouldn't wait long before going back to your games," said Haruka, never taking his eye off the sketchpad in his lap. It was after a moment, but Haruka began gliding his pencil across the page, leaving streaks of graphite on its smooth surface.

"Well of course," Takane replied. "Now that I'm back in this body, I might as well do the things I couldn't when I was in Shintaro's computer."

Haruka nodded, understanding entirely. "I know what you mean," he said.

She laughed a bit. "I'm sure you do, of all people."

Infected with her laughter, he gave a bright smile. Dotting his pencil on the page, he casually asked, "Is there anything else Takane wants to do now?"

Suddenly, and still looking away, Takane caught her breath. With his simple statement, her heart raced... for two different reasons. Firstly, the realization of her answer, of course. And second—the fact that he, for the first time in two years, had called her by her name. Her true name.

_Takane._

Overwhelmed, she couldn't stop the few tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She hunched her shoulders hanging her head. It was only when she started sniffling did she catch Haruka's attention. "Takane...?" he said again, then alarmed as he saw a single drop fall from her face to her palm. Forgetting the sketchpad in his lap, he turned his full attention to her. Had he said something? "Takane, what's wrong?"

"Haruka..." was all she could say. He looked at the girl beside him with concern.

Wearing her heart on her sleeve for the first time in either of her lives, she found the courage to look over to him. She tilted her head up, gazing into his innocent, gray eyes. She was blushing again, she was still crying... but she didn't try to hide it. And, so very uncharacteristically, she didn't try to hide the smile spread across her lips either.

Haruka was taken aback, seeing such an expression on his old friend's face—one he'd certainly never seen before. It almost made him want to smile, too, but he didn't, thinking that might be a bit insensitive.

Then, in a bold move, Takane was swift and sudden to wrap her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. He flinched at first (confused, to say the least)—until Takane finally found her voice.

Speaking softly, and just to him, Takane whispered, "I've missed you so much, Haruka."

He was stunned, though just for just a moment, wondering what exactly was going on. Was he... really alive again? —Was this really happening? He'd never seen her like this. Then picking up on the reality of the situation, he exhaled.

Takane was... hugging him.

Now unable to resist smiling, too, he slowly returned the gesture, placing his hands softly around her back. Gentle as he'd always been, he pat her softly, comfortingly. "I've missed Takane, too."

"I thought about you every day," she confessed, as her heart raced a mile a minute.

"Eh? Really?" he said, disbelief apparent in his voice. Her statement was certainly surprising. He felt her nod "yes" in reply. Though... he was sad, as he couldn't exactly say the same. It felt more like he'd been sleeping for a long time, with dreams and nightmares he couldn't control. If only he could've thought about her every day, then he certainly would have. Because...

"You know..." he finally spoke, daring to pull back from their embrace in the slightest, "the last thing I remember thinking, before I became Konoha..." he paused and looked his friend in the eye, "—was how much I wanted to see Takane again."

She caught her breath a bit, beyond surprised. Flustered, she looked away after a moment. Covering her hand over her crimson face, she couldn't help but feel shy... to which he laughed, realizing he'd embarrassed her.

"S-Shut up..." she muttered, as he, again, couldn't help but laugh. She was cute like this. Feeling that much more worked up, she snapped, "I-If you're lying I'm gonna punch you in the stomach!"

"I'm not, I'm not!" he replied (still trying to hold in his giggles) as he put his hands up defensively.

Takane gave him a suspicious look. "...Really?"

Collecting himself, he nodded. "It's the truth," Haruka said earnestly. "It really is what I wanted, right up until my last moments alive."

His words sent chills down Takane's spine. She grumbled and muttered a bit, wiping away the few tears still in her eyes. He only smiled at her, just like he used to...

He wanted to be with her, up until the very end.

...That wasn't all too different from her, now was it?

She remembered running down their school's hallway before collapsing, as it seemingly faded into an endless road. She remembered how much her heart hurt, how much it always had. She remembered the three words she wanted to tell him, more than anything. Mostly because she'd never forgotten.

The two held a long pause. Takane looked deep in thought, but Haruka said nothing, nor did he stop smiling at her.

Shyly, she eventually reached in her bag beside her, pulling out her signature pair of headphones. But what for? To shut him out in the same way she had, so many times before? No. No that wasn't the reason at all. Exactly the opposite.

"Haruka?" she said.

"Hm?"

"Will you... put these on?" she asked, abnormally timid. "Just for a second?"

A bit confused by her statement, he blinked. But, indulging her regardless, he nodded. "Sure." Doing so, he took the headphones and slipped them over his ears, hearing a beautiful piano ballad playing softly. He listened intently, wondering why she'd wanted him to wear her headphones at all.

But just then, however, he was caught substantially more off-guard; Takane leaned over, resting her head against his chest. With pink cheeks, she gave him one final, incredibly shy glance—before closing her eyes and promptly slipping unconscious. He was quick to wrap his arms around her so she wouldn't fall over... though he was thoroughly confused.

And then, hearing a familiar voice inside his headphones—he realized what was going on.

"Haruka."

Too shy to convey her feelings through actions, but wanting him—and only him to hear, she spoke to Haruka with power as Ene.

"Thank you for everything you did for me. —When we were in school together, when we were Ene and Konoha. Thank you for always being my friend, even though I'm... me."

Wanting to correct her, he instantly said, "But, Takane is—!"

"—amazing?" she said, finishing his sentence before laughing. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that. Thank you for that, too. For feeling that way." There was a long pause between the two of them, as they listened to the seemingly endless ballad play on end.

"Takane was my best friend," he eventually said, to which she didn't respond. "And still is. Takane really is the most amazing person I know."

"And you the most amazing person I know—and more than just my best friend," she said suddenly, almost reflexively. "Thank you for thinking I'm worth-while Haruka. A-And... And more than anything..." Her voice broke; it sounded like she was crying. He looked down at the unconscious girl, still asleep on his chest. A single tear leaked down her face. Haruka reached up, sliding his thumb against her cheek, wiping it away. Though she wasn't awake, Takane's heart raced as she finished her thought.

"Thank you for always smiling for me."

Haruka was touched; genuinely surprised with her bold words. And that she was outwardly telling him, no less. Takane, the girl who used to smack him just for saying "good morning!" every day. She was thanking him. Almost feeling like he could cry too, he could only exhale her name. "Takane."

It might have been a minute, or two, or who knows how long. Neither said anything. Haruka sat there, content with holding Takane in his arms. In their few passing moments together, the sun had since set.

But today, that didn't matter.

"Haruka..." Takane finally said, as the soft piano ballad faded out—along with her voice. Slowly, the girl opened her eyes, looking up at the boy, as he gazed down at her just the same. Finally speaking with her true voice, she whispered the three words she'd longed to tell him for two whole years—and even long before that.

"I love you."

His heart skipped a beat. Haruka couldn't believe what he was hearing. Now questioning reality more than ever, he could only stare at the girl still leaning against him, still in his arms. She just gazed at him—timid, unsure, awaiting what he had to say in reply. He felt a new, floaty sensation in his stomach. It wasn't bad... no, on the contrary, it was the exact opposite. He felt happy. Happier than he ever had.

Suddenly, a few words echoed in the back of his mind. Though... he wasn't exactly sure if he was the one who said them. Regardless, in that moment, he realized—those few words were true. They were so true.

_You feel the same, Haruka._

With her head still pressed to the boy's chest, Takane could hear Haruka's heart rate speed up. He smiled down at her just as he had a million times before—and inevitably would, a million times to come. Then tightening his hold around the Takane, he cradled her as though she were the most delicate thing in the world. He nuzzled his cheek to the top of her head—a reaction she wasn't expecting. Just as she wasn't expecting what he'd say next.

"I love you, too, Takane."


End file.
